Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Flamme de la Paix


No signs of tension in Tombouctou, really.

This rather bizarre monument, on the northwestern outskirts of town, is the spot where the ceremony marking the end of the "last" Tuareg rebellion, in March of 1996.

Over 3,000 weapons were burnt in a great bonfire.

Today the monument has a pile of the old guns embedded in cement at the base; marble tiles have fallen all over and it's positively in a state of disrepair. Sort of like the peace - considering the Canadian and Australian government warnings about "do not travel to Tim" whilst we were there.

Warnings notwithstanding, we found nothing but pleasant people and smiles in Tombouctou.




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Biography

An inveterate traveler, who has explored all seven continents, Neil centres his freelance writing today on travel.
Published work includes travel writing in The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, The Buffalo News, Travel Scoop and The Wonderful World of Budget Travel. Featured destinations include: Toronto, Ontario; Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Qufu, China; Oaxaca, Mexico; Jersey, Channel Islands; Trans-Siberian Express.
Neil’s photography focuses on finding images of the worlds he visits that capture the essence of “place”. Whether photographing landscapes, archaeological sites or locals, the goal is to make a picture emotive of what brought one there.
Photography has been published in Camera Canada, Foto Flash, Minolta Mirror and travel publications, as well as displayed at gallery exhibits in Toronto.